Stars snub Scooby premiere

The stars of Scooby Doo, this weekend's surprise American box office hit, were absent from the red carpet today as Movie World went to the dogs for the premiere of the live action version of the '70s cartoon.

The $US80 million ($A143.76 million) family comedy, made at the adjoining Warner Roadshow Studios, earned an estimated $US56.4 million ($A101.35 million) at the weekend making it the third biggest opening of the year behind Spider-Man and Star Wars Episode II Attack Of The Clones.

"In these times what could be more escapist than Scooby Doo," explained Paul Dergarabedian of the box office tracking firm Exhibitor Relations.

Gellar and Prinze were late cancellations at the Australian premiere but their co-star Linda Cardellini denied newspaper reports the engaged couple had snubbed Australia because they didn't enjoy making the movie here. ");document.write("

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"I was surprised by what I read. It was news to me. They seem to be enjoying themselves," said Cardellini, who played Velma.

"It was beautiful here."

In the G rated family film the Mystery Inc. is called on to solve a spooky caper by the boss of an island theme park played by Rowan Atkinson.

Millions were spent creating the cowardly great dane Scooby Doo who was computer generated, so he also missed walking down the red carpet.

In his place was the Australian voice of Scooby Doo, Neil Fanning, who has had a meteoric rise to stardom after being discovered in the Movie World Stunt show.

"I went up against the American fellow who was doing the voice on the cartoon and they liked what I was doing," Fanning said.

"I'm loving this experience."

Reviews for Scooby Doo in the United States have been mixed.

Rolling Stone warned fans to "get out your pooper scooper" but the Washington Post said it was hard to resist the film's "moronic charm".

Fanning said everybody was relieved that audiences were relating to the comic book hero.

"Roh rits rantastic," said Fanning in his Scooby Doo voice.

Location watchers will be able to spot a Gold Coast beach, Brisbane Airport and a resort on Moreton Island which doubled as the spooky island theme park.